Oklahoma executes Raymond Johnson for 2007 murders of mother and baby
By Chantelle Navarro
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MCALESTER, Oklahoma (KOCO) — Oklahoma executed Raymond Johnson on Tuesday for the 2007 murders of Brooke Whitaker and her 7-month-old daughter, Kya, marking the conclusion of a case that spanned over two decades.
Witnesses described Johnson’s final moments in the execution room. As the curtain lifted, Johnson looked toward the witness area, mouthed “I love you” to his friends and received the same signal back. A tear streamed down his face.
“The way he died today was so simple. It was like putting a dog down,” said Angie Short, Whitaker’s sister.
In June 2007, Johnson attacked Whitaker with a hammer before dousing her and her baby with gasoline and setting them on fire. Whitaker died in the hospital, while Kya succumbed to the fire. Johnson later told police he believed Whitaker deserved to die.
“I will never forget the firemen who testified at the trial. And he picked up Kya, and he thought she was a baby doll. He thought she was a burned baby doll,” Short said.
At 10:12 a.m., Johnson died by lethal injection. Strapped to a gurney, he used his final words to address Whitaker, Kya and their family.
“I’m sorry for the pain I’ve caused and hope for forgiveness,” Johnson said. “I hope people can now speak their names without my name attached to it.”
When asked about Johnson’s apology, Short dismissed it.
“It’s a little too late for that. He was never remorseful. He’s never apologized, except for at the clemency hearing when he was begging for his life. Basically, that meant nothing,” she said.
During the clemency hearing in April, Johnson had said, “I know the love shared because to know Brooke and Kya was to love them. Today, I sit here, responsible for their deaths. I tried to plead guilty, and I got it.”
Kya’s siblings chose not to attend the execution. The family expressed feeling robbed of closure, as Whitaker’s mother died suddenly in 2024 after enduring years of stress and anxiety over the case.
“I feel that Raymond Johnson is the reason that my elder sister isn’t here as well, because of the stress and anxiety caused her for over 17 years. She died of a heart attack, a broken heart, and broken as a result,” Short said.
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